Rocketsmiths - Rocket Round The Clock
Brisbane popabilly (you read it here first) group The Rocketsmiths are about to release their brand new EP, so frontman Dom Miller got on the blower to Carlisle Rogers to divulge a little.
The Rocketsmiths have just dropped their second EP, Parts, Pieces, a rambling jaunt taking in rockabilly, pop and everything in between.
A couple of years ago Perth was all the rage with bands like the Sleepy Jackson, End of Fashion, Little Birdy and Eskimo Joe all releasing albums that bore a certain unique west coast feel. This year it is Brisbane’s turn. The Rocketsmiths have their popabilly, Yves Klein Blue has polka covered and The John Steele Singers are like Apples in Stereo mated with Pinback.
With their first EP, Meet Horace and Clyde, the Rocketsmiths were still finding their feet, but it cemented their reputation enough to gain Magoo as a producer for the new EP.
Singer and guitarist Dom Miller says that when he met Magoo, they hit it off instantly. “I was really impressed with the stuff he was saying and I got along with him and gave him the demos for our new EP,” he says. “He loved them and was really keen to come on board. We had such a good time with him. We went in there and had a really good balance between a working relationship and a friendship.
“When it comes to writing, we all bring songs to the table. If I bring a song to the band I’ve got some lyrics, but I’m more about melody and lyrics than just chords. The lead guitarist or keyboarder might come with a cool riff or a cool chorus and we put vocals over that. It’s always someone starting an idea with chords and lyrics or a riff and lyrics and then we bring it in the rehearsal room and play the fuck out of it. We also try to keep in mind what we’ve done before and try to not do something we’ve heard before. We split all our song writing credits equally. Everyone puts in their ideas and everyone contributes.”
Dom says the Rocketsmiths are aiming for longevity, not just flash-in-the-pan success, and that has a lot to do with their live show. Last week they won the Queensland finals of MTV’s Kickstart competition, which puts them in the running for $15,000.
“It’s a live thing and one of the judges said afterwards that he really liked our songs, but our live show he really liked. That’s our thing. I don’t think you can be a successful band in Australia and not have a good live show. Everyone is very supportive of each other here, but at the same time, everyone is very cynical. If you go and see a boring show you don’t want to pay ten bucks to see them again. The other thing is, we just have fun. We’re good mates outside of the band and we just get up there and have a good time playing with each other.”
WHO: The Rocketsmiths
WHAT: Parts, Pieces / Play the Hopetoun Hotel
WHEN: Out 11 October / Friday 3 October
MORE: myspace.com/therocketsmiths